Zacuto USA2016-12-09T15:17:24Zhttp://www.zacuto.com/feed/atomWordPressZacuto Teamhttp://www.zacuto.comhttp://www.zacuto.com/?p=414922016-12-06T20:40:12Z2016-12-06T17:28:57ZA First Look at Canon's new 18-80 lens, plus a few Zacuto accessories to match.

]]>We love the new Canon 18-80 lens. It reminds Steve and Jens of their days with ENG cameras! With the addition of Canon’s re-locatable servo zoom control (ZSG-C10) you can have full lens control in the palm of your hand.

We’ve made a couple of accessories to make this lens even more user-friendly – a click-into-place 18-80 Lens Support and a right angle adapter for their cable. Relocate the Canon grip with our Rosette Grip Relocator handgrip to create a truly balanced and practical shoulder rig.

You got a sneak peek of some upcoming products in this video! Stay tuned for more info on Trigger Grips and the Control Grip from Zacuto in 2017.

Canon 18-80 Lens Support

This little clip makes a big impact. Our Canon 18-80 Lens Support screws into your lens in place of the standard Canon support foot. Then as you twist the lens into place at camera mount, then Lens Support clips firmly onto the rod from your baseplate. The Lens Support folds against the lens when you’re not using it.

Right Angle Cable

An ideal accessory for use with Canon’s re-locatable servo zoom control. If you plan on using a baseplate with this lens or ever want to put your camera on the ground, you need this cable! Extends the relocator cable of the Canon 18-80 lens grip an additional 6” from the lens. The right angle of the cable relieves pressure on the port and keeps the cable from interfering with baseplates or the ground.

Collaboration in film and business is the name of the game. Gone are the days of one person trying to do it all. No one person can be great at everything. A team of people where everyone has their strengths is much more advantageous.

We often see filmmaking collaborations on the big screen and may not even realize it. When a feature film comes together, it isn’t just one person or one company doing everything. There is a collaboration of people coming together to create something amazing. It’s the collaboration of the team that enables a film to be successful.

Let’s take a look at some examples of great filmmaking collaborations.

Filmmaking Collaborations

The Coen Brothers

Brothers Joel and Ethan Coen share their love and talents for film by collaborating on practically every single film. Beyond their shared screenwriting expertise, they each focus on their strong suit, for Joel that’s directing and for Ethan it’s producing. The two also often collaborate with a “cohort” of actors who have appeared in many of their films. Steve Buscemi has been in 6 Coen films, Frances McDormand (Joel’s wife) in 5, John Goodman 4 times, and the list goes on.

Disney-Pixar

The official collaboration of Disney and Pixar in 1995 (Disney purchased Pixar from Lucasfilm-ILM in 2006) is arguably one of the greatest large-scale filmmaking collaborations to date. Beyond 8 Oscars and over $10billion in revenue, it’s easy to see the results of in-sync collaboration in animation. Storyline supports the animation brought to life by voice actors. One thing is off and it all falls down. Just think of the hundreds of artists who come together to create one animated vision. It’s incredible!

Baz and Catherine

If your favorite parts of Baz Luhrmanns films are the intricate costumes, lush sets, and sweeping production design then you’re a fan of his very talented, Academy award-winning wife, Catherine Martin. The two met in college at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney. They’ve worked together (Baz as writer/director and Catherine as producer/production designer) on Strictly Ballroom, Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge! , and The Great Gatsby.

Industrial Light & Magic

San Francisco, Singapore, Vancouver, and London – the four global hubs of ILM. And as usual, they say it best themselves…”Knowledge and culture flow freely between the company’s four global studios, and ILM shares tools and workflow with the other studios allowing for seamless collaboration on all shared projects.” Basically, Star Wars is not an island!

How I Found My Team

My filmmaking collaboration moment happened to me almost two years ago when I met Rene Defayette (Motion Cinematics) and Bryan Bakker (BizBio). Two years ago the three of us were complete strangers, each of us running our own independent video production businesses. Then one day a project brought the three of us together.

Derek, Bryan, and Rene

We three people, with very different areas of expertise, were brought together to collaborate. From then on, our businesses changed immensely. Our shared knowledge, experiences, and strengths allowed us to continue to grow our businesses together and independently. Instead of viewing each other as competition, we now see each other as colleagues and friends. We are now a well-known team that brings creativity and a fun work environment to every set. As a result we create an outstanding product and develop great relationships with our clients.

We’re often asked…what is the most important element of our collaboration?

We all agree. Trust.

Trust is crucial. We must be able to trust each other talking to and generally being around each others clients and on each others sets. We treat every client as if it were our own. It is in all our best interests to work together as well as possible. That means excellent communication and an open work environment.

So, seek out other people and come together to better yourselves and your business! It worked for us, and I am convinced it will work for you.

************************************************
Stay in touch with Derek.

On the evening of October 30th, 1938 Orson Welles’ voice traveled far across the radio waves, bringing word of an invading alien army from Mars. The theatricality and delivery of his War of the Worlds performance, along with recent memories of the Hindenburg disaster (one year prior), sent many listeners into a panic.

Inspired by Orson

I learned about the Orson Welles broadcast of War of The Worlds and the subsequent chaos it caused in college. At the time, my classmate Ryan McCoy and I thought that backdrop would make for a great short film about imagination. But low budget filmmaking wasn’t great in 2005. And honestly, aside from the festival circuit, there wasn’t a great place to release your short film. There wasn’t much of an online film community, not like there is now.

So we decided to table the idea for awhile… Like a decade.

Creatively speaking, with Embers & Dust I wanted to craft something in live action the way Hayao Miyazaki, Don Bluth, or Brad Bird would do in animation. Those three have an amazing sense of setting, nostalgia, and drama in their respective bodies of work. Miyazaki alone has amazing gift for creating stories that are so interpretive and surreal but still play on very human emotions. I wanted to do something like that but with my own skills and voice. And the broadcast just seemed like the right environment to express that in.

Watch the Film

While Orson deliverd his performance, unfortunate coincidence would fall upon the town of Concrete, Washington where, at the height of the invading alien attack, a power transformer blew out sending the entire town and surrounding areas into darkness. These circumstances are the backdrop of Embers & Dust.

Careful Casting

Properly casting our leads was something I was pretty adamant about from the beginning. When you’re making a passion project it’s so easy to throw a posting on Craigslist and see what you get, or cast some friend’s cousin or dude from work that’s an aspiring actor. It is important to exercise due diligence at this stage. You want the right face, the right voice, the right presence, and the right attitude.

There is a built in attitude for filmmakers that working with children is difficult or annoying. I didn’t find that to be the case at all. Henry, the young man that played Gene in our film, was great. I mean, he kept it going at times like 2AM, he’d play with the crew between takes, and when I asked him to focus he was front and center. He was fantastic to work with. But I had done my due diligence. I spoke with out casting director who recalled Henry’s professional conduct at auditions. I met with him and his father (who is also a joy to have on set), and we talked a couple more times before we got things going. Casting is so much more than just putting someone in the role.

Behind the Scenes

The first day of production was an exciting nightmare! Since most of our film takes place in the evening, our production days started later in the afternoon. You try to sleep the night before but you’re too excited! You wake up from what little sleep you got, and you’re already filled with anticipation! By the time the camera is rolling you’re just getting into the swing of things.
Those first few shots should set the pace. Unfortunately, not long after we started rolling we got hit with a torrential downpour that halted us for a couple hours. (Really my fault for pushing to shoot in August… and in upstate NY.) But there is usually a general excitement on set, so once the rain died down, we picked right back up and just got moving. We found our groove pretty quickly.

On the other side of things, when you’re getting close to those last couple of shots, they’re usually nothing crazy. They’re either easy shots you held for last, or shots you might have had to compromise on earlier in the production. So you see the end coming pretty quickly, and you start thinking “damn, we’re really grooving here! Why does it have to end?”
Our last shot was of a calendar. I remember thinking “Years of kicking around this idea, months of planning, and days of shooting… and a calendar is where all this effort culminates.” That’s filmmaking for you, everything down to the last detail and insert shot.

I passionately hate the idea of being with it, I think an artist has always to be out of step with his time. ― Orson Welles

When you have the opportunity to create something from your heart, don’t compromise or get knocked off balance when someone isn’t seeing what you’re trying to express. It’s your voice, and sometime people won’t understand it. Filmmaking is still art, and just like any art form, it’s a matter of expression and interpretation. If it feels right in your core, follow it and see where it takes you. On that same note, you may not see what you personally accomplished right away. I’m finally getting used to my work sinking in with me much later after completion, when everyone has moved on to something else.

*****************************************************
Find out more about Patrick and the Embers & Dust team.

]]>Thanks to some handy, little, red levers, Zacuto gear has become known for it’s quick-release system. We hate screwing and unscrewing things on set – and we know you do too!

With the release of our VCT Pro Baseplate we’ve added another level of quick-release transitions to make your on-set workflow smooth and seamless. The VCT Pro Docking system makes the transition from shoulder mounted to tripod to slider, dolly, steadicam, or any other support system easier than ever.

Step 3 – Camera to VCT Pro Dock – Quick-release just your camera from the VCT Pro Baseplate, and slide it quickly and seamlessly into our VCT Pro Dock. Mount on a tripod, slider, dolly, monopod, steadicam, or any support system.

VCT Pro Baseplate

This modern take on a traditional VCT style set-up incorporates a comfortable, curved shoulder pad with a sleek and highly adjustable baseplate. The sliding top plate offer 10″ of camera balance range, plus the ability to change lenses quickly, and remove your camera easily from the rig. There is also a recessed rod mount for extra accessory area under your lens, 25mm of vertical adjustment, quick-release rod ports at the front and back, and much more. Get all the specs here.

VCT Pro Dock

Quickly take your camera off the VCT Pro baseplate and slide it onto the VCT Pro Dock sitting on a tripod, dolly, steadicam, slider, monopod, etc.. The red top plate slides off the baseplate with the push of a lever and into the Dock quickly and easily. Secure your camera with a quick twist and you’re ready to shoot!

VCT Tripod Plate

Adapt any standard tripod head into a VCT-14 style tripod. The VCT Tripod Plate will accept the VCT Pro baseplate alone or with your complete Next Generation Recoil Rig). It enables quick transitions between shoulder mounted and tripod shooting.

Is the grass greener?

Why do you want to go freelance? Why do you want to be a filmmaker?

Is it because you think only successful filmmakers are freelancers? Do you want more control over your schedule? Do you want to make more money? You need to ask yourself the tough questions and answer honestly. The answers to these questions should give you the motivation and the drive to get through the rough parts.

So, what was my “why”? I wanted to do more filmmaking. I wanted to grow more and faster. I wanted to be stretched as a director and I knew that wasn’t going to happen where I was. After eleven months of freelance, I can say that I was right to make the move. It has not been easy. In the filmmaking industry you often hear the cliche, “It’s either feast or famine.” This is very true. You may go a month and not have a job. You may have five jobs in one month. If you can’t live with an inconsistent income then freelance filmmaking may not be for you.

It’s easy to say the grass is greener on the other side. Know that it is a risk and you may fail as you go. But I’d rather take a risk, fail, and know that I tried, than live with regret.

The Pros of Freelancing

1. Freedom
You can set your own schedule.
You can say no to jobs if you are not interested.
You can set your own hours.
You aren’t chained to a desk and don’t have to let someone know every-time you leave the office.
You can make your office wherever you want! Your home, a coffee shop – anywhere. This list goes on and on…

2. Work/Family Balance
Since you don’t have to work 9-5 you can make time for family when needed. In the summer I see my kids way more now than I ever have. I can take a day off in the middle of the week if necessary. I can have lunch with my daughters.

3. Choice
I can choose my clients. If they are slow to pay or creating chaos in my life I can stop doing business with them. Trust me, not every project is a dream project, but it’s nice to know I have the ability to choose who I work with.

4. Higher Salary
If you don’t feel you are making enough money you can raise your hourly rate, or charge more per project. No asking your boss for a raise. Being self employed means you can write off business expenses, including camera gear! It drives me nuts when employers don’t cover your cell phone or data plan when 80% of its use is for them! Now when I use my phone for business it is covered by my business.

5. Satisfaction
Let’s be real, when you’re self-employed you are still working for someone else – your client. You are providing a service. But, I’ve found that when I finish a project I feel really satisfied, as long as I exceed the expectations of my client. I know all of my hard work was going straight into that particular project and the paycheck I received was for that specific job. There’s just something about making that connection that creates satisfaction.

So, which is better, freelance or salary?

When I was processing my decision to switch to freelancing, which took about 3 months, I got a chance to talk with Ryan Booth. Ryan is a very successful DP and his work is beautiful. He’s also very approachable which I respect about him. I asked him about my struggle to decide whether or not I should go freelance.

He told me that it doesn’t matter whether you have a salaried job or are a freelancer as long as you get to do what you want to do. People perceive freelancers as more successful filmmakers, but that’s not true. You can be a successful filmmaker and not be a freelancer. That was a very encouraging perspective, and I really appreciated his honesty.

I think people need to really consider that before running to where they imagine the grass in greener. Another filmmaking buddy of mine, Mike Collins, gave me the same advice. He has a full-time salaried position and gets to do some really awesome filmmaking.

In the end, we all have to do what is right for us.

I hope this series has helped you if you are contemplating making the jump from a salaried position to a freelance lifestyle. If you have anything to add please feel free to create a conversation by adding your comments.

]]>One of the biggest drags of being self employed is having to insure yourself. It’s no small cost. Research it before you decide to quit your job. You won’t only be saying goodbye to a salary but your benefits too. Health, dental, eye, and whatever else your employer provided is now up to you.

You would think Obamacare would have made health insurance affordable, but from my middle class experience this is not true. Plan on having higher deductibles and paying more out of pocket when you visit the doctor.

When we first started my Limited Liability Corporation (LLC), I had no clue what types of insurance were needed. Thankfully I have a wife with a business degree. Without her I would be totally lost on the details of creating a small business.

There are three types of insurance that are must haves.

The 3 Types of Insurance

First there’s general liability insurance. It covers property damage, bodily injury claims, and advertising injury claims. With this policy my camera gear is protected as well as reputational harm. As you can see, it’s a fairly broad policy.

Secondly, I found out I need workmen’s comp insurance to protect those I hire on production gigs. This way if someone gets hurt on set while working for me I’m covered and can avoid a potential lawsuit.

Lastly, there’s professional liability insurance, more commonly known as errors and omissions. This protects your company from negligence claims made by a client, and covers damages awarded in a civil lawsuit.

Do you really need Professional Liability Insurance?

Say you shoot a job over three days and return home to find all the footage corrupted. The client could potentially sue you for not delivering on the job. Professional liability insurance will cover this.

It also protects your personal assets. What does that mean? If you do get sued it will be limited to your business’s assets and not your personal assets like your house. You don’t want anyone to be able to take you for all your worth so it’s a good idea to pay for the protection.

It should be noted that before getting this type of insurance I had to meet with a lawyer and make sure all of my release forms were written in such a way that I was covered correctly. Attorneys are not cheap, and this will cost you some money. Again, another cost I would never have considered. Make sure you have proper actor and location release forms. I even include a clause in my forms that allow me to use my actor’s image in my social media posts just to be safe.

Creating an LLC

As I mentioned earlier, I created a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) for my small business. From my experience, this was fairly easy. At least for my wife! She just went online, filled out a form and paid $21 to create my LLC. So look into this yourself before you pay someone else to do it for you.

NOTE: Each state has different rules and some business require different things, so an LLC may not be right for you. You’ll have to research what type of cooperation you want to form.

The main reason for creating an LLC was to separate my personal assets from my business assets. It’s another way to protect yourself in case of a lawsuit. It also helps with keeping track of your income. When it comes time to pay taxes you’ll have a separate entity that is not intermingled with your personal assets.

Freelancing & Taxes

I’m not a CPA so I’m not going to get into the nitty gritty here. However, here are some simple things you can do to help prepare for tax time.

1. Talk to an accountant, or hire one. As the saying goes, “you don’t know what you don’t know.” So talk to someone who does…at least at first.

2. Keep your money separate. Create a separate bank account for your business. Do your best not to mix your personal accounts with your business accounts. It’s beneficial to your accountant as well as the IRS if you have an audit.

3. Make sure when you invoice clients they write checks to your business’ name.

4. Keep good records! Use record keeping software such as Quickbooks to track your income and expenses. There are some great online services that can help you track your invoicing. Wave is a great example.

Tracking expenses is key as well. I have a credit card that I use only for expenses so it’s easier to track what I’ve spent money on. Expensify is an online service that can be used for expenses.

5. Don’t forget to track your mileage. There’s an app for that as well, MileIQ.

6. Finally, as a general rule, plan on paying nearly a third of your business’s income to the government. So when you see all that cash coming in, just set aside a portion for taxes as you go.

Hopefully this post helps you see some of the costs a freelancer has to deal with as a small business owner. It’s the least fun part of the experience for me.

Next week I’ll share the pros and cons of the freelance experience. Is it worth it?

]]>One thing I’ve learned quickly as a freelance director is clients will not buy what they can’t see. You can have great concepts and wonderfully creative ideas, but if you can’t show it in a tangible way then people won’t buy it.

There are two things you need to help sell your work. The first is a reel, and the second is a treatment for each pitch you give for a job.

Reels

Before going freelance I never really needed a reel. In fact, I thought they were kind of cheesy. I was just too good to need a reel! I was making films and getting paid! Why do I need to show off like that? Well, if you can’t show people what you can do then they just aren’t going to get it. Especially if you are dealing with an agency.

A reel will help you show clients what you are capable of. Think of it as a portfolio of your best work.

Here is my reel:

There are tons of killer reels on Vimeo. Just do a search and you’ll find some incredible work. If you don’t have a reel or your reel isn’t that great (AKA you don’t feel it shows your best self), then you need to find a way to create work that shows off what you can do. You may have to go as far as doing spec work for free, or find a passion project that will push your visuals to a new level.

I worked with a DP that invested $10,000 of his own money on a passion project just so he could make his reel look better. This may come as a surprise if you are just starting out as a Director or DP, but it’s pretty standard.

You have to see this as an investment in your business. Ask your friends for favors and invest some serious time (and what money you can) into making a quality product. Plus, the whole point of a passion project is doing something because you’re passionate about it. It’s not about the money, right?

This is a passion project of mine. I pulled multiple shots from it to create my reel.

What makes a good reel?

Strong visuals are a given. Don’t put anything in a reel that doesn’t look good. If you are questioning whether a clip is good or not, don’t use it.

Good music is key. Honestly, quality music may be more important than your visuals. If the music is lame or doesn’t fit the mood of your reel people viewing it will be turned off. So spend the money and license qulity music. I use Musicbed for most of my scores. I find they are high quality and affordable.

Keep it short. If you don’t have a ton of awesome work keep your reel short. In fact, even if you have a ton of great visuals keep it short! People just don’t have the patience to watch a long video online. You’ll create more impact by leaving people wanting to see more. My general rule of length is two minutes, but that’s just a guideline.

Stack the deck. Put the most impressive work at the beginning and ending of your reel. It’s just what people remember the most. That’s not to say you can put mediocre work in the middle, but decide which clips are going to have a lasting impact on your audience.

Get feedback before you post. It always helps to get an outside opinion. So show a rough edit to someone you know can give you an honest critique before finalizing your project.

Treatments

A reel isn’t the only thing you’ll need if you are pitching ideas to an agency or client. You need a treatment. This is a visual presentation that can include a detailed outline, visual inspiration, storyboards, and more. You have to express vision for the project.

A great resource for treatments is Behance.net. If you have an Adobe subscription you have access to this site. There a lot of different types of work to look at. It’s mostly for photographers, and a great resource for visual inspiration, but if you search “treatment” you’ll find some really cool examples of commercial treatments.

What’s involved in a treatment?

When I create a treatment I break it down into five sections.

First is the script. Most of the time this part is taken care of. You are being hired to make the script come to life. And it’s your job as the director to have a vision for the story and to see that vision all they way through to the end.

Next I break down how I will tell the story visually. I call this the “Journey”. In as much detail as possible I describe how the story will look and feel. I may include specific camera moves, or some visual technique I think will help further express the story. I usually talk about the style of lighting I think fits best. Is the light soft and contrasty, or bright and twinkly?

After this I give specific visual references. I pull images from other films I’ve seen that best exemplify the mood I’m going for. These reference images are not specific shots, but just a way to show the client the look and feel I’m going for.

Then I include a shot list. It’s not the final shot list, but at least it shows I’ve put a lot of thought into the project.

Lastly I give a summary of the entire project and address any details I may have left out.

I find the more detailed you can be and the more professionally you can communicate the better chances you’ll have of landing the job.

In my next post we’ll talk about the nitty gritty aspects of taxes and insurance.

As I shared in the first post of my freelancer series, my original plan for becoming a freelancer didn’t work the way I had planned. The production company I joined took a major hit a few months after I joined the team. Our biggest client froze all of their work with us so jobs became almost nonexistent for me. I knew I would have to generate more client work on my own. How do you do this?

The best place to start is with networking. I’m not just talking social media networking either. I mean you have to get out there and meet people. If you don’t get in front of people that have needs you can provide a service for, then you won’t get the job.

I wish I could just sit at home in my office (AKA the spare bedroom) and promote myself from Facebook, Twitter or any other of the many social media sites out there and jobs would just come to me. It just doesn’t happen that way. At least it hasn’t for me. A strong social media presence doesn’t hurt, but getting out and meeting people is more effective. In short, you have to do both.

Get Out There!

I started visiting local networking groups. Yep, those meetings where entrepreneurs from all different careers gather every other week to talk about what’s going on in the community. We discuss the latest businesses coming to town, exchange contact information, and help one another out. It’s not my favorite part of the job, but it has to be done.

Maybe your local meeting will be fancy with cups and saucers like this stock photo?! (Styrofoam cups are more likely!)

I also attend a monthly American Advertising Federation meeting. Since I’m looking for commercial work, it’s a great place to meet potential clients needing video work for television and the web.

TIP – have a lot of business cards on hand for swapping contact info. In fact, always keep business cards on hand! You never know who you might end up meeting.

Create Content for Potential Clients

I made a list of businesses I thought I could create video content for. And for each of these businesses I created a pitch. I’ve learned that if you want to create a job then you should approach the potential client with an idea.

Don’t just walk in and ask if they need some video work or a television commercial. Show them you have something to offer that they may not have considered. Showcase your creativity. Plus, when you bring them an idea it shows you’ve taken the time to put thought into what you and they are selling. Show them you care about what they want to communicate.

Don Draper would never meet a potential client without an awesome pitch!

For example, the gym I exercise at has tremendous potential to tell personal life changing stories about how exercise and healthy living can benefit one’s life. So when I’m taking group classes, I always keep my ears open for a good story.

I found a woman in her mid fifties that is in the gym every day. Her daughter and granddaughter also use the same gym. I got to talking with her and she mentioned that it was her daughter that inspired her to start exercising again. There are three generations from one family all working out at the same gym. This is a story worth telling!

Meet Local Agencies

Another strategy I use to find directing work is meeting with local marketing/advertising/PR agencies. I started with the people I know at a couple of agencies and then emailed and called others by looking up contact information on company websites. Yep, cold calling. It’s not fun, but you never know what may develop from it.

Just as a side note, it’s relatively easy to come up with a marketing strategy; the hard part is actually executing it. Without execution all you have are ideas. There are about a million other things I can find to do and would rather do in a day than making cold calls or emailing people I don’t know. I’m really good at procrastination. If you need help getting motivated, find an outside source to help create pressure.

Enter Competitions

One good way to showcase your work is to enter local competitions. If you can win a few awards and your work is shown at award shows, potential clients may see your work. And winning an award or two is always impressive! High quality agencies and clients like to see awards and honors. If it can get you in the same room as these folks and get exposure, it’s a big win. High quality work draws high quality clients.

If you don’t win or can’t get your work up on a screen not all is lost. I often use competitions to push myself. I get to see what other directors are doing. My work may not be as good, but I know where I stand and can always improve.

Networking and marketing is not the most fun part of freelancing. But you will get out of it as much as you put in. I connected with a new client the other day through LinkedIn. To be honest, I never thought something like that would happen. I keep my account up to date, but really didn’t think I would find work through the most boring social media platform out there! You just never know where you’ll find your next job.

There’s a lot to take into consideration before deciding on a freelance filmmaking career. If you’ve worked as an employee for a number of years, like myself, it can be a huge adjustment. My main goal as a freelancer is to be a commercial director. Of course I want to do some short narrative work here and there, but I want the bulk of my money making career to be as a director.

Sometimes I find myself working directly for a client without an agency. At other times I may work for an agency as a director. When starting out as a freelance director I view no job as too small.

Let me share with you a few things you may want to consider before making the leap.

Build Up Clients Before You Jump Into Freelance Filmmaking

If at all possible, build up a decent number of consistent clients in your free time while you have a full-time salaried job. This isn’t fun! You’ll have to work a lot when you’re off the clock. However, it can pay off big time when you make the jump. The last thing you want to do is quit your job and have nothing lined up. Building up a clientele is not easy and can be time consuming. (My next blog will be on networking which will help with this.)

For my freelance filmmaking venture, I chose to partner with a good friend who was starting a new production company called Wavelength Films. I was very lucky as he had a wonderful base of client work already. In fact, he had so much work he needed to pass some of it off, and I was that guy. This offered consistent income early on and kept me from having to shop myself around. I hate that part of freelance. But, selling yourself is a big part of this business.

Be Honest With Yourself And Your Partner

If you aren’t in a relationship you can just skip to the next point! However, if you do have a partner (and potentially share the responsibility of raising children) you really need to talk openly through all the details before making the move. Being honest and open at this point is a major deal and should be priority number one.

When you make the move to freelance filmmaking your income will be affected and you will potentially have less time to spend with your family. Make sure your partner is on board.

I knew making the switch to freelance filmmaking would affect my income in a big way. I hoped I would make more money than when I was salaried and that everything would exceed my expectations. I could see paying off our house and buying my dream vehicle. I was going to “make it rain”. As you can see, I have an active imagination! The realist in me knew my income would slump as I was building up clients and trying to find new jobs.

So I asked my wife if she would be willing to work more to make up for the dip in my income. Fortunately for me I have a very supportive wife. She was working part-time while being the primary caretaker of our children, something she loves doing. To help provide for our family as I transition careers, she now works two part-time jobs to help make ends meet.

She’s carrying a very big load, to say the least. It’s not easy. I’m grateful for her sacrifice and hope to see this season come to an end very soon. My goal is to get her back to one part-time job and spending more time with our kids.

Have A Plan And Plan On It Not Working

I’m being somewhat facetious here, but it’s what happened to me! As mentioned, I planned on taking on jobs from my friend at Wavelength Films. It was a good plan and was one of the big factors that helped me decide to leave my nice salaried job and become self-employed. However, the client that was giving Wavelength Films so much work went through a leadership change and our work with them froze.

We aren’t sure if it will come back, or if we’ll ever see another job from them as they restructure. That’s just the way life is. You can have the best plan in the world, but circumstances change. What do you do? Do you give up? No, you change your plan.

Hopefully you can learn from my experience what you need to consider before jumping into the world of freelance filmmaking. There are a number of wonderful pros to working for yourself, and of course with that comes a number of cons. (We’ll get more into that later!) But, the grass really isn’t greener on either side, and you are no less a filmmaker if you have a salaried job.

In the next post I’ll share some tips on how to network yourself. It’s a key part of getting jobs and making money.

Over the past few years we’ve seen a pronounced evolution in the style of corporate filmmaking. “New Corporate” is in essence a hybrid of independent cinema and documentary. It is people-centric with a strong focus on story.

New Corporate is still relatively new to the mainstream. As a result, the genre is wide ranging in terms of execution and final product. In spite of its newness, some patterns have started to emerge.

So, inspired by some of the most viral commercials the internet has ever seen (and a recent project of ours), we set out to explore those patterns. Here are our four key components of a powerful New Corporate commercial.

1. Story

New Corporate has set the bar high when it comes to storytelling. Regardless of whether the story has been scripted, staged, or truthfully documented, it must be emotionally engaging enough to enable its audience to experience empathy throughout.

Below is an example of a minimalist approach to empathetic, documentary style storytelling. This two-minute mini doc by AfterGLO Films was produced for Comcast’s Internet Essentials program’s A Day in the Life series. Internet Essentials is an outreach program that provides low-cost high-speed Internet to low-income residents across the US. The goal for this video was to showcase a truthful representation of the ways in which in-home Internet access enhances the film’s subject’s quality of life.

2. Shooting Style

Cinéma vérité, coupled with a little lens flare and slow motion, creates a look that’s outside what we have grown to expect from a traditional corporate film. New Corporate shooting styles allow the audience to enter the film rather than look in from afar. Engaging viewers in this intimate manner enhances the feeling of sincerity.

Here is an example from a series by Minute Maid titled, #doinggood. In this series, children are filmed discussing how well their single parents have done when it comes to raising them. Emotional moments are captured in a documentary style. The handheld camera work and natural light support the sincerity of the piece.

3. Editing

Traditional corporate films often feature talking heads and b-roll. Barring the addition of any graphics or special effects, if the film has been scripted the editing process is likely going to be a relatively straightforward one. New Corporate combines an immersive cinematic experience with a memorable message so subtle that it is barely detectable at first glance.

TrueMove H, a Thailand based company, produced a short film titled Giving. It showcases a refined editing technique that moves the audience seamlessly through the story.

4. Music

Certain styles of music are often associated with a particular genre of filmmaking. Traditional corporate films are no different. On most music licensing sites there is a category titled “Corporate.” This music is meant to appeal to a broad audience. Traditionally, such songs have an electronic, sometimes sterile quality with predicable swelling tones that build throughout. They usually end with either a majestic crash or the tapering off of heartwarming pings.

New Corporate requires a song that feels like a score. The song needs to be a work of art in itself in order to intensify the film’s emotional level. Another short film from Thailand titled Thai Good Stories exemplifies this element. This song is so congruent with the emotional quality of the film that it seems as though it was written specifically for the piece.

It’s difficult to say why this style of filmmaking for corporations is becoming more popular. A combination of the following factors seems to have influenced this evolution.

The stylistic choices seen in mainstream documentary filmmaking over the past decade.

The affordability of high-end cameras. This enables independent filmmakers and boutique production companies to produce high end visuals and take on clients once reserved for large agencies.

The relocation of advertising from television to the Internet.

Social media as a marketing platform.

And lastly, perhaps the desire of audiences to once again feel connected to people rather than products and technology.